Systematic review on wearable lower-limb exoskeletons for gait training in neuromuscular impairments

Gait disorders can reduce the quality of life for people with neuromuscular impairments. Therefore, walking recovery is one of the main priorities for counteracting sedentary lifestyle, reducing secondary health conditions and restoring legged mobility. At present, wearable powered lower-limb exoske...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 22 - 21
Main Authors: Rodríguez-Fernández, Antonio, Lobo-Prat, Joan, Font-Llagunes, Josep M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London BioMed Central 01.02.2021
BioMed Central Ltd
Springer Nature B.V
BMC
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Actuators
Ankle
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering
Biomedicine
Care and treatment
Clinical aspects
Clinical trials
Complications and side effects
Exercise Therapy - instrumentation
Exoskeleton
Exoskeleton Device
Exoskeletons
FDA approval
Fitness equipment
Gait
Gait disorders
Gait Disorders, Neurologic - rehabilitation
Gait rehabilitation
Humans
Literature reviews
Lower Extremity
Lower-limb
Mobility
Neurology
Neuromuscular diseases
Neuromuscular impairment
Neurosciences
Orthopedic equipment and supplies
Patients
Physical exercise
Physical therapy
Quality of Life
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Medicine
Research Design
Review
Robotics
Robotics - instrumentation
Robots
Spinal cord injuries
Spinal cord injury
Stroke
Systematic review
Technology application
Therapeutics, Experimental
Therapeutics, Physiological
Training
Treatment Outcome
Usability
Walking
Wearable exoskeleton
Wearable technology
Spain
Gait rehabilitation
Stroke
Neuromuscular impairment
Spinal cord injury
Wearable exoskeleton
Lower-limb
ISSN:1743-0003, 1743-0003
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:Gait disorders can reduce the quality of life for people with neuromuscular impairments. Therefore, walking recovery is one of the main priorities for counteracting sedentary lifestyle, reducing secondary health conditions and restoring legged mobility. At present, wearable powered lower-limb exoskeletons are emerging as a revolutionary technology for robotic gait rehabilitation. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview on wearable lower-limb exoskeletons for people with neuromuscular impairments, addressing the following three questions: (1) what is the current technological status of wearable lower-limb exoskeletons for gait rehabilitation?, (2) what is the methodology used in the clinical validations of wearable lower-limb exoskeletons?, and (3) what are the benefits and current evidence on clinical efficacy of wearable lower-limb exoskeletons? We analyzed 87 clinical studies focusing on both device technology (e.g., actuators, sensors, structure) and clinical aspects (e.g., training protocol, outcome measures, patient impairments), and make available the database with all the compiled information. The results of the literature survey reveal that wearable exoskeletons have potential for a number of applications including early rehabilitation, promoting physical exercise, and carrying out daily living activities both at home and the community. Likewise, wearable exoskeletons may improve mobility and independence in non-ambulatory people, and may reduce secondary health conditions related to sedentariness, with all the advantages that this entails. However, the use of this technology is still limited by heavy and bulky devices, which require supervision and the use of walking aids. In addition, evidence supporting their benefits is still limited to short-intervention trials with few participants and diversity among their clinical protocols. Wearable lower-limb exoskeletons for gait rehabilitation are still in their early stages of development and randomized control trials are needed to demonstrate their clinical efficacy.
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ISSN:1743-0003
1743-0003
DOI:10.1186/s12984-021-00815-5